A Night with Friends, Sushi and Westvleteren!!

Yesterday, I got a slight taste of old Leuven mixed with new Leuven, as my friend Gonzalo (alias: Newland Savage on Face Book) 

graced us with his presence in Leuven.  After many confusing texts and wandering around Leuven, we finally coordinated our reunion in the always impressive Grote Markt.

It was exciting to see an old friend, so as per usual; I lead him to Café Belge, so we could have some proper beverages.  As we sat down and started reminiscing, I ordered a Zee Zuiper (Tripel) and Gonzalo had a Leute Bokbier to kick start the evening.  We discussed world politics, literature, religion, relationships, future prospects and toasted his acceptance to do his Master’s in Lille, France.

Round 2: I ordered a Hector Tripel and NEWLAND ordered a Gulden Draak, quite a powerful beer, but this lead us to discuss mutual friends, finances, travel, globalization and capitalism.  The conversation flowed like the great beers we were enjoying, as I looked at my watch I realized that it was time to go to Tomo’s for sushi.

I had only been to one previous sushi night at Tomo’s, but free fresh homemade sushi, how can this evening get any better.  

As we entered Tomo’s attic kot, I must describe this place; first off, it is in a shacky looking building that is crying out to be clothed with a new paint job.  We ring the buzzer and wait, finally a voice yells out and a set of keys descend from the upper window, naturally Gonzalo misses the keys, as he is a soccer player, not a baseball player.

We enter and start our climb around the narrow tiny steps that will bring us to the attic, where you enter through the attic door into the kot, a very unique place to live.  It is a comfortable space, where two guys live, my friend and fellow Canadian Chris Adrien occupies the little cubby hole right up against the roof, where he stores his stuff and sleeps, I am impressed with his tenacity to climb the very dangerous unhinged latter to his mattress in the ceiling every night.

As we take an open seat on the floor, the sushi gets cut and dispersed, it is delicious, everyone has switched to wine, but in true Roy fashion, I continue to drink my Jupiler and Vedett that I picked up at the Nacht Winkel moments ago.  As people start to leave, Sajjad (who is passed out sleeping in Tomo’s bed), Kaja (our Slovenian friend – hope I spelled the name right), Gonzalo and myself encounter a pleasant surprise.

Tomo pulls out a box of 6 Westvleteren Abt 12, accompanied by two beer glasses of the same brand.  He informs that he acquired this rare purchase in Brussels during the very surprising marketing stunt by the Abbey.  I have not had one of these for three years and obtaining them is not an everyday thing.  As Tomo starts discussing in an entrepreneurial fashion the reselling to make profit on E-Bay, I cannot help but form a strategy to talk him into letting us try one bottle.

As we start discussing it, Kaja and Gonzalo become a key part of the convincing, we are relentless and we can see Tomo start to think “perhaps let’s give it a try”.  The full court press is in action, as Tomo finally agrees that we can share one bottle of the good stuff. 

Now for all the naysayers that declare that St. Bernardus Abt 12 is like having a Westvleteren Abt 12,

I again, like in my review will kindly disagree, especially enjoying this beer slightly chilled and at room temperature really brought out the special taste.  Deep amber in appearance with a sweet malty aroma of dark fruit and raisins, the taste and flavour jumped right out of the chalice and provided that wow moment.

Lately, I have been reading from a few bloggers that Westvleteren is over rated, or the hype is not worth the sip, for this I am truly disappointed in my fellow beer tasters, because the malty sweet raisin taste, perfect mouthfeel and pleasant finish make this beer worth the wait every time.

There are similarities between Bernardus and Westvleteren, but in a taste test the flavour of Westvleteren is like Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls to Hakeen Olajuwon’s Houston Rockets, both great teams, but the Bulls are one of the greatest dynasties ever, it is blasphemous to speak otherwise.  I feel this way about sampling Westvleteren last night, definitely a dynasty.  Thanks’s Tomo for sacrificing one of the bottles in the package for a sushi good time!!

Over and Out,

Roy